I just don’t understand

I am very apprehensive about writing this post. My reasoning is not to offend or anger but merely an attempt for me to digest what is going on in my head.

I pose this question. Why have we made teenagers think that their sexuality is something they need to have figured out by their teens years?

That might make zero sense but hear me out. I feel like we have two paradigms here. One saying that you have to find who you are and that’s who you are going to be for the rest of your life. And another saying you have to do it as soon as possible!

I don’t feel like I’m totally out of touch with this subject. I work with teens every week and see the pressure they face. The bullying, hate, betrayal, and hurt they go through.

I just don’t understand. Why  we as a society are forcing these kids to be gay, straight, or whatever? I remember when I was 14 and in school. I’m sure there were kids in my school that were gay, there were also kids that were straight. (And I grew up in Texas!) No one that I can ever remember made a big deal out of either. When did this shift happen where all of a sudden these kids (because they are just kids!) have to defend themselves for a lifestyle choice at 14?

I just don’t get it. These kids (gay or straight) need to be loved. They need to be shown that at 14 things don’t make sense. Shoot, at 29 things don’t even make sense! Kids need to be shown that bullying isn’t cool and isn’t right.

In the end you have to see where this is heading. My posts rarely don’t include something Biblical. This post will be no different. We desperately need to show the love of Christ to the bully as well as the kid being bullied. That’s all I got, that’s the only answer I can find for all of this.

This is the reason I am so thankful to be a part of a ministry that says, come in and be loved. Let’s talk about life and lets find a better way to do it. Let’s not force decisions that are going to affect our lives at 14 alone.

Be Blessed

Higgins

*Edit I don’t claim to be an expert on anything. I write for that exact purpose. These are my thoughts unedited as the pour out of my head. Disagree or agree with me that’s ok. This is just one man’s view of the world around him.  

So long sweet summer…

Every have one of those days...no weeks...no summers, where things just don't go your way? But, before you think this is some kind of 'whoa is me post' i should clarify that most of this feeling is my doing.

Now, i had no idea that i was going to held up at gun point, lose my job, and attend counseling each week for ptsd. That i really had no way of controlling. Nor could i control the way that i was treated at gamestop because of what happened.

There were however elements of the summer that i was able to control. Yet when it came down to it i let my desire for what i wanted to happen over ride what God wanted to happen for my summer. Whether you believe it or not I do think that God has some sort of plan for my life. Unfortunately i think that this summer i wanted what i wanted for my summer instead.

The entire summer was not a total waste. During July i was able to teach an amazing group of kids from Spain. During my time with them i was reminded by how much i love teaching. Which i needed a reminder of.

I also got to go to Washington DC for the first time with some really great friends. I love being able to surround myself with all that history. I was also able to spend some time (not as much as i would have liked) with a friend that I met while i was teaching in Japan 3 years ago.

As i sit here and write this i am finding it extremely hard to say that i had a bad summer. If anything it was not what i wanted it to be...but turns out that might not be so much of a bad thing after all.

This Crazy World.

I know that we live in crazy times. People are under ridiculous amounts of stress from work, families, and life. Everywhere you turn there is something else popping up and making life just a little worse.

Then you find yourself in South Carolina buying a fake ipad in a McDonald's parking lot. That is if you are Ashley McDowell. You see Ashley was approached by two men (one even had gold teeth supposedly) in the parking lot of her local McDonald’s and was asked if she wanted to buy an Ipad.

Now, I don’t know Ashley nor do I feel OK with calling her stupid. But I can say this. If someone offers to sell you anything in any parking lot odds are it’s stolen, fake, or someone is going to kill you. Common sense will tell you this.

My problem isn’t that she was duped into to buying a fake ipad for 180 bucks. My problem is that now the police are trying to find the men that sold her the ‘ipad’ (which was nothing more than a piece of wood painted black with stickers on it).

Why didn’t they just lock up Ashley? Clearly she is more a threat to society then these two men are. OK, OK, I know that she probably thought she was getting a ‘sweet deal!’ But, honestly when are we going to start punishing the stupid? Next thing you know McDonalds will get sued because someone doesn’t realize their coffee is hot…oh wait!

Higgins

Actual Photo!